Ryder Cup Note: The first Hybrid™ and RollingStar®-Banknote in Europe

A perfect blend of the traditional and the modern

When the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) was selected by the Ryder Cup Europe to issue the first ever commemorative banknote in the history of the Ryder Cup Europe, it came to Louisenthal’s parent company G&D for the printing of this prestigious banknote. Consequently Louisenthal delivered the substrate including substrate embedded features.
G&D and Louisenthal have a cherished history of collaboration in banknote production and print. Together we produced the most sophisticated banknote in Europe.

Design fundamentals

In its design, the special edition £5 note perfectly blends traditional Ryder Cup elements with comprehensive and innovative security features. It was designed and developed by the RBS as part of the bank’s ongoing commitment to Scottish golf.

On the front side, the note displays many design elements traditionally used by the RBS. The printed intaglio portrait and the watermark show the first Governor of the RBS, Lord llay. The Ryder Cup trophy is prominently displayed.

On the reverse side of the Ryder Cup note, the scenery of the Gleneagles PGA Centenary Course is pictured, including a large and detailed representation of the Cup. The well balanced composition of motifs both matches the design on the front side and goes beyond it with its modern artwork and wide range of colours. Thus, each side of the banknote is unique and delivers an individual message.

For its 40th anniversary, the Ryder Cup returns to Scotland for the first time in over 40 years. The prestigious golf tournament which will be held in September at the Gleneagles golf course in Perthshire, Scotland.

The notes’ substrate reflects Louisenthal’s lead in easily recognisable security features for the public. And it is the first in Europe to be printed on Louisenthal’s Hybrid, a paper core being protected by a polymer film. It features proven substrate-embedded security while the polymer increases the note’s durability yet retains the touch and feel of paper banknotes through the traditional cotton fibre core.

RollingStar – first in Europe

The banknote is also the first in Europe to feature the RollingStar security thread. The RollingStar security thread represents the latest generation of optically dynamic security threads. The technology is based on an innovative high-precision micro-optical effect combined with physical thin film processes, all of which create an insurmountable technological barrier for counterfeiters. It can be easily verified, even by an untrained eye and even in poor lighting. When the Ryder Cup note is tilted, dynamic colour shift reflection travels over the surface and creates a striking effect, changing from gold to green in perfect harmony with the green colours of the grass and the golden colours of the cup on the banknote. RollingStar was awarded IACA Best Currency Feature 2014 at the Banknote Conference 2014.

Filigram window

The image of the Ryder Cup Trophy is repeated in the see-through Filigram window. Employing most advanced laser technologies, filigree lines are cut into the core paper substrate generating the image of the Ryder cup when viewed in transmission. Covered by the thin protective film layers, this secondary window adds a further security element which is easy for the public to identify.

Banknote window

The Ryder Cup trophy on the front side is printed with SICPA SPARK® ink in a transparent window. Banknote windows are eye-catching features and can be quickly and easily verified. Optically attractive security features applied in the transparent area, as in the current case, can be seen from both sides of the note. SICPA SPARK has been created in the screen printing process and combines color change with dynamic effects and 3D impressions. Printed in the transparent window area and embedded with the design, it creates an image which is both transparent and translucent.

Highlight watermark

The Ryder Cup note features a HighLight watermark (see £5) which further enhances its security. Despite being one of the oldest banknote features in use, watermarks have stood the test of time. Cylinder mould watermarks are 3D security elements that are produced on the cylinder mould paper machine at the sheet formation stage. They display a sharp contrast between light and dark areas and subtle gradations.